Lightroom or photoshop?

I have CS4 +LR2 here. I use both but LR much more. If I were to do it again, I would go with LR and a late version of PS elements. There are a few things that LR won't do that you will need PS to do. The thing LR does better than PS is that the image isn't degraded until final export. The final export quality is higher in LR. In PS the layers will drop quality when saved,
 
Lightroom. You can do about anything of a traditional darkroom without getting in the complexity of PS.
Obviously, if you are high on processing your files to the pixel, PS will be a better option.
 
am probably lagging behind my time, but never learned to trust these complete workflow oriented and database based solutions such as Lightroom or iPhoto. something in back of my mind keeps saying: "theres something they didnt consider..." etc.

so, am paranoid CS4 & Bridge user 🙂
 
I use lightroom 3 and ps5. Question those of you that use LR 90% of the time do you export as a tiff or jpeg? It seems like I only use PS to convert the exported tiff to jpeg. Thx Jim
 
I hate photoshop. It's basically a graphics manipulation software that can be used for photo manipulation. Lightroom is as close to a digital darkroom as you can get. The only thing that I can't do in Lightroom that I need photoshop for is complex cloning (interior work), complex layers (interior work) and complex gradient layers (interior work).

It's good to have both, but lightroom is a massive advancement in organization and management, as well as having all the traditional editing tools (plus a few more advanced ones). Photoshop is crude in terms of editing workflow, and has no organizational or management properties.

Anybody still working directly with original files as opposed to the managed method of working with 'referenced' files (leaving the originals untouched) in lightroom/ACdsee/aperture is crazy...

Just my opinion.
 
Neither. I use ACDsee Pro. I find it much easier to do that I need with that software. The only issue I have with it is it chockes on my very large 48 bit 6x9 scans. I use lightroom for those.
 
Impossible to compare the 2 softwares ; it isn't the same use at all (that's why Adobe makes the two!)

- Lightroom is the perfect tool for photographers, comparing to the good old library + light box + labo when we were using films : you can archive, store, find your pictures (database functionalities), you can inspect, rate, select them (edit and catalogue capabilities), process, modify and prepare your Raw files (darkroom equivalent), export, print, or prepare for numeric use your pictures (end of the process).
Actually, a powerfull and intuitive "all in one", for 100% of your (strictly) photographic process.

- Photoshop is the absolute image creator sofware in the market; used by photographers indeed, but mostly by graphists, designers, artists, painters etc., you can find in it all the functions to create and modify any sort of picture.
As photographer you will use it ponctually, for post-processing, manipulations, artwork and graphical options.

Now, my opinion/my use : you need these two softwares!
 
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I've had Photoshop since v.2 was bundled with an Abaton flatbed scanner years ago; now have CS4 but seldom use it. Lightroom license came with the M9, so I'm just getting familiar. But I don't trust the iPhoto method as in Aperture and Lightroom; I have a long-established file management and record-keeping system that I want to stay with. So anything that takes over that function is not welcome. I'm pretty content with Capture One Pro.
 
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